Sunshine & Cherries
by brady66
Summary: Beth works helping her sister manage the new bar in the small town of Senoia, GA. She had no idea how her life would change when their favorite bouncer tried to get his baby brother a job as a bartender!
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my first try at a non-zombie related Bethyl fic. I hope you like it. Also, I have no clue how to add this to the Bethyl community thread, so if one of you knows could you please add it? Now onto a little Bethyl goodness! Hope you enjoy!**_

"Hey, Maggie, this here is my baby brother Daryl." Merle said as he pointed to the taller, leaner man behind him. Maggie smiled and extended her hand to him. She could see him stiffen just a little.

"Hi, I'm Maggie Rhee! I own this bar, which you probably already know," she said with a smile as she looked from Merle to Daryl.

"Daryl," he mumbled as he shook her hand.

"So your brother said you just got back in town and need a job. Tells me your a pretty good bartender. Can you show me?" Maggie asked as she motioned toward the bar. Daryl looked at her from under his bangs and nodded as he slowly walked to the bar. As he took off his black leather jacket and vest, she had to hold back a gasp. The man did have some of the most amazing arms she had ever seen. Merle chuckled a little at her reaction and she elbowed her favorite bouncer in the gut.

"Baby brother has always gotten that kinda reaction, even if he never notices or takes advantage of it. Stupid pussy," Merle continued as he watched Daryl look around the bar.

"Whatdu you want me to make?" Daryl asked. Before Maggie got a chance to answer they were interrupted by a voice.

"Hey,Mags! We are running low on a few things for the kitch..." Beth explained as she pushed her way through the door and stopped when she saw they had company. Her eyes fell on the guy behind the bar, his blue eyes meeting hers for a moment before looking shyly back at the top of the bar.

"SweetPea, I didn't know you were here. Lookin just as jailbait good as always," Merle smirked as she walked up beside him. She nudged him in the side and smiled.

"I haven't been jailbait for a few years Merle. Remember, I'm 21 now," she said as her smile got wider and placed her hand on her hip. She turned to see that the man behind the counter was watching her closely. She held his gaze for a moment till Merle started talking again.

"Oh yeah, saddest day of my life when you became legal! No more jailbait fantasies. Least I've had a couple years to deal. We could always pretend though," he said with a smirk. Beth would have been infuriated if anybody else spoke to her like that but this was Merle and she knew he meant nothing. He had become one of her and Maggie's favorite people over the years and the fact that he was the best bouncer around didn't hurt. Maggie's husband Glenn always felt the most secure about both ladies being in the bar when Merle was working.

"Bethy, this is Merle's brother Daryl. Daryl, this is my sister and assistant manager of this bar Beth Greene." Maggie said with a smile. Beth walked up to him and extended her hand, with probably one of the biggest smiles that he had ever seen.

"It's nice to meet you. Merle talks about you a lot," she said sweetly, her bright blue eyes locking onto his.

"Doubt that," Daryl grumbled out as he shook Beth's hand.

"Don't be so sure," she replied just above a whisper as she continued to smile at him.

"SweetPea here is also one of the bars main acts. Best singer around." Merle said as he walked up beside them and sat down at the bar. Beth felt her cheeks start to flush as she sat down beside him. She was never any good with compliments.

"You sing?" She heard his raspy voice ask and nodded her head.

"Maggie just feels she has to let me do it. I'm not all that great," she said shyly as she looked down at the bar.

"Doubt that," she heard him whisper, causing her to jerk her eyes back up to him in time to see the tips of his ears turn red. The look in his eyes told her he had not meant to say it out loud.

"Ok, whatchu gunna make us Dixon?" Maggie asked as she sat down in the bar stool and wrapped her arm around Beth's shoulder, Beth leaning her head slightly at the embrace, a small smile on her lips.

"Um...ok," Daryl mumbled like he had just been broken out of a trance. Then he got to work behind the bar. Beth watched as he moved, light and swift on his feet, barely making a sound. She watched the way the muscles in his arms would twitch when he poured the alcohol into the shaker or when he was shaking the mixture together. She felt herself involuntarily lick her bottom lip, thinking about how her fingers would feel on those muscles. How they would feel wrapped around her, holding her close. She was brought out of her daydream by the sound of a shot glass being sat in front of her. As she looked up, her cheeks flushed, wondering if those blue eyes that seemed to look into her soul could see the impure thoughts she was having.

"You tryin'," he asked her gruffly, a small shiver running down her back at the tone. She nodded a reply-that was all she could do at that moment. He poured three shots and then backed up so they could try.

"Here's to the three L's...life, love and loyalty," Maggie said their family motto and the name of the bar with a sad smile.

"The three L's," they all repeated as the held their shot glasses up and downed the shot, Daryl watching them like he missed something but also with something else that resembled nerves, which she thought was strange cuz he just came off as somebody who didn't get nervous. Beth smiled even before she finished her shot. It tasted like sunlight and cherries and she had never tasted something so good.

"That was great!" Maggie said with a smile.

"Damn good, Darylina," Merle said, causing Daryl to shuffle uncomfortably at the nickname. Then his eyes raised up to meet Beth's, she smiled as she studied him for a moment. Then she leaned over to her sister and said just above a whisper.

"Hire him! The man's a genius," she said softly then pulled away, smiling at them all and heading back to the kitchen, licking her lips as the after taste of cherries filled her mouth again.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl pulled up beside of Merle in the back parking lot of the Triple L bar. Merle had worked there for a couple of years already and when the mechanic's shop Daryl worked at in the small town of Peachtree closed down, Merle suggested he come back home. Daryl was hesitant at first, considering the little town of Senoia was never really nice to anybody with the last name of Dixon, but in the few years he had been gone, Merle had cleaned himself up, and had a steady job as a bouncer. That job was what brought him to be standing in front of the back doors of the bar that morning.

"Come on baby brother" Merle said as he opened the door, pushing his brother inside. As Merle walked up to a brunette woman standing at the bar, Daryl hung back. He took a second and looked around the bar. For as run down as it looked on the outside, the inside was nice. It had a warm and cozy feeling to it.

"Hey Maggie, this is my baby brother Daryl" he heard Merle say as he walked up to stand behind him. Maggie extended her hand and flashed a smile at him. He froze for a second before he extended his hand and shook hers.

"Daryl" he mumbled, this cussed himself in his head. He knew that she owned the place and he knew he really needed this job right now. But she didn't seem to mind his shyness. She introduced herself and then asked for him to show her what he could do behind the bar. He walked back and started to take inventory of what they had in stock when he heard her voice.

"Hey, Mags! We are running low on a few things from the kitch…"she said as she came thru the kitchen doors, stopping when she noticed them. When she locked eyes with him, he felt his stomach drop. Her eyes were the bluest thing he had ever seen. After a second his shyness kicked in and he dropped his gaze back to the bar.

He groaned to himself when he heard Merle flirting with her, a girl like her didn't need some old redneck hick coming onto her like that, but she took it in stride, seeming to know that his older brother meant nothing by it. He found his gaze going back over to her. She really was pretty. Her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, a single braid hanging from it. He watched as she told Merle that she hadn't been jailbait in a few years, since she was 21 now, as she placed her small hand on her delicate hip. And he smiled just a little when he heard Merle say it was the saddest day of his life when she had turned 18.

"Bethy, this is Merle's brother Daryl. Daryl, this is my sister and assistant manager of the bar Beth Greene" He heard Maggie say as she looked between Beth and Daryl, realizing just then that he had been staring. His breathing caught in his throat when she walked up to him and extended her hand, with probably the biggest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen. For a second he was lost in it, it reminded him of sunshine on a spring day.

"It's nice to meet you. Merle talks about you a lot" she said sweetly to him, her voice sounding like a soft country song to his ears. Her eyes locked onto his, making him wonder if she could see into his soul.

"Doubt that" he mumbled as he shook her hand.

"Don't be so sure" she replied just above a whisper, in a tone that sent a shiver to parts of his body he shouldn't be worried about at the moment.

"SweetPea here is also one of the bars main acts. Best singer around" Merle said as he walked up beside of Beth and sat down at the bar. Daryl noticed her cheeks blush red and her eyes cast down at the bar and he swore he probably had never seen anything so cute before.

"You sing" he heard himself ask, his voice sounding a little raspy. She nodded her head in reply

"Maggie just feels she has to let me do it. I'm not all that great" she added as she looked back down at the bar. He almost laughed, knowing just by looking at her that she was probably better than great at everything she did.

"Doubt that" he whispered before he could stop himself and instantly he felt his ears burn. He had not meant to say that out loud, but he could tell from the look in her eyes and the smile that spread across her lips that she didn't mind.

He watched as Maggie walked up beside of her and sat down, Beth leaning into her sister as Maggie put her arm around her. He could see the love between them two. He was broken out of his gaze when Maggie asked him about making a shot.

"Um….ok" he said as he tried to regain control of what he was doing. How could he be so unfocused just by meeting somebody. What was it about this girl that kept him wanting to look at her. Was it her hair and smile that reminded him of sunshine? Was it her lips, the perfect shade of red that reminded him of cherries, or the fact that he bet she tasted every bit as sweet as one. He shook his head as he decided on a shot and started mixing. Once he was done shaking he turned and noticed her eyes were watching him. Her eyes didn't hold the same brightness, they were a little darker, lustful if he didn't know any better. Why would she be looking at him that way. He walked over and sat a shot glass in front of her, bringing her out of her gaze. But the blush that went across her cheeks again as he asked if she was trying one and the shiver he could see in her body made him wonder if maybe he wasn't reading her wrong, but there could be no way.

"Here's to the three L's….Life, Love and Loyalty" he heard Maggie say as they raised their glasses. 'So that's what Triple L stands for' he said to himself as he watched them intently as they downed the shots, being most taken with the fact that Beth was smiling before she even finished it. He let out a breath as he heard Maggie and Merle both say they loved them, even with Merle using his other nickname to do it. Then his gaze shifted nervously back to Beth. The one he had secretly created the shot for. She smiled as she watched him for a moment, her gaze soft and sweet. Then she stood up and whispered into Maggie's ear, but still loud enough for him to hear her.

"Hire him! The man's a genius" she whispered and then pulled away, smiling at them all. He watched her as she walked away, the gentle sway of her hips in a pair of tight fitting jeans, brown cowboy boots on her feet. He could have sworn he saw her lick her lips before she went back through the door.

"Well, that settles it" Maggie said as she slapped her hand against Merle's shoulder and smiled, breaking him out of his gaze of the kitchen door where the blond angel had just left.

"If Bethy thinks you're a genius, then your hired" Maggie said as she stood up and extended her hand.

"Your sister musta bumped her head. I aint no genius" Daryl said gruffly as he shook her hand.

"Well maybe she did, but if all of your other drinks are as good as that one, then we will be happy to have you. Can you start tonight?" she asked happily.

"Yeah I can. You sure?" he asked, not actually sure if she was serious.

"Course I'm serious. Your family now Daryl. Be here at 7. No real dress code, but since your working for tips, I would suggest another sleeveless shirt" she said with a chuckle as she walked toward the door that Beth had gone out of just a few minutes before hand.

"Thanks Sugar! We both appreciate it" Merle said with a laugh as Maggie turned at the nickname, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh I mean Boss Lady" he smirked back, causing Maggie to shake her head with a smile as she went thru the door of the kitchen.

Daryl watched her go, then turned to Merle, a huge smile on his brother's face.

"What?" he asked after a few moments.

"I saw you watching SweetPea." Merle said with a chuckle.

"Don't know whatchu talkin about" Daryl growled as he walked back around the bar.

"It's ok. She's cute. And it's going to be part of your job to watch out for her. I watch from the door, but if you see any guys putting their hands on her and she doesn't want them too, you stop it. That goes for Maggie too, even though she can handle herself. We do not put up with any of that crap here" Merle said with a smirk. Daryl laughed a little, thinking to himself that Beth could handle herself too, they just didn't give her enough credit.

"They are good girls" Merle continued "And they have been through a lot. They have a good thing going here and I will make sure they keep it. And I know you will too baby brother" Merle said as he clapped his hand on Daryl's shoulder. Daryl saw a flash of Beth's beautiful smile, her gorgeous eyes and nodded to his brother.

"I'll do everything I can to keep her safe" Daryl said, his voice low and determined. He had never meant anything more in his life, and that scared him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, how are things going so far?" Beth asked Daryl as she walked up behind the bar later that night. The bar was crazy busy and she had heard at least 5 ladies comment adoringly on the new bartender, that his manners left something to be desired but he made up for it in the looks department. One of her best friends, Rosita, even thanked her for the eye candy, even though her boyfriend Abraham ran security with Merle.

"Crazy," was all he replied, but he gave her a faint grin as he turned and asked the next set of people what they wanted to drink. She watched him for a moment. He wasn't exactly a people person, just nodding when they told him, and totally ignoring the way that they were throwing themselves at him.

"Do you need any help?" she asked as he turned back around.

"Do you know what your doin' back here?" he asked, a little more roughly than he actually meant too. But all she did was grin up at him. She really did have the prettiest smile he had ever seen.

"Yeah a little. I do help from time to time," she said as she slid by him, lightly running her hand on his arm as she did because really how could she resist? Maggie had told her earlier that she told him to wear a sleeveless shirt. She had silently thanked her sister over and over in her head as she had watched him tonight behind the bar. His arm muscles flexing when he would work on an order. The faint sight of a tattoo on his back when he would move a certain way. She was going to have to talk to Maggie about making his dress code nothing but sleeveless shirts.

She saw Daryl's cheeks flush just slightly at her touch and secretly she hoped he had not been able to read her mind with those soul seeking eyes of his and she knew she would have to try to make that blush happen again soon. She went up to a set of guys at the other end of the bar that had been waiting a little impatiently. Daryl watched her for a moment and shook his head when she turned her head in his direction, smiling brightly before she stuck her tongue out at him then turned back around to the guys. Sighing he went to start making the last groups order as he listened to Beth taking their order.

"So what will you all have?" she asked sweetly.

"Damn girl, are you on the menu?" One of the louder guys asked as he eyed Beth up and down.

"No, I'm not. Do you want a drink?" she asked, her voice still sweet but Daryl could make out the irritation already starting in it.

"Well, that is a shame, cuz I could show you a real good time," he said with a chuckle as Daryl walked up beside them, handing the group beside of them their drinks.

"You ever heard the expression that's too much car fer you?" Daryl asked as he glared down the guy for a second and then turned back to the rest of the bar.

"Don't tell me a girl like you is with that dirty redneck Dixon?" the guy asked as he grabbed Beth's wrist. Daryl turned at the words, and at the sudden action of the guy. But before he had a chance to grab the guy, Beth slammed his hand hard into the bar top and leaned over to him.

"I'd watch your hands and your mouth. He's a better man than you and most definitely can handle this ride," she sneered as she let him go and he cried out in pain. Daryl watched with his mouth slightly open, shocked that this little slip of a girl could handle a guy like that and about what she had said about him.

"You crazy bitch," the guy yelled as he backed away from the bar, right into Merle, who had seen what had happened. He grabbed the guy by the arm and started pulling, growling something to him about the rules of the bar and not being allowed to put their hands on the ladies, unless it's wanted.

"What?" she asked as she turned and saw Daryl staring at her.

"That was great! Where did you learn to do that?" he asked, watching as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"A few years back, my brother had me and Maggie take self defense classes. I only went to a few classes so I only know a couple of things," she said, as her eyes starting to lose a little bit of sparkle.

"I didn't know you had a brother too. Does he work here?" Daryl asked as he turned to make another order of drinks, his eyes still glancing over at her.

"No, he passed away a few years back," she said softly as she looked at her feet and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said as he turned to face her. He felt like an ass. Merle had told him that they had been through a lot, but he didn't give details.

"It's ok. I gotta go," she said quickly as she started past him.

"Beth!" he called out, not really knowing what he was going to say. But he didn't have to say anything as the look in his eyes must have said it all because when she turned and looked at him, a sweet smile graced her lips and she touched his arm softly.

"It's really ok. I gotta go get ready for my set. Make sure you cheer for me ok," she said softly as she let go of his arm and walked away. He couldn't resist watching the gentle sway of her hips again. Of course he would cheer for her. Heck, he was still trying to figure out why he didn't flinch away when she touched him. That was the second time tonight that she had touched his arm. Normally when anybody even got close enough to touch him, he would tense up and stiffen. But with her it just seemed so natural. But how was that possible when he had only knowing her for a few hours. Not even a full day and this girl had already more of a hold on him that most people he had known for his whole life. And the fact that she told that guy that he was a better man. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that she didn't know him at all. That he was a Dixon like the guy said and they were trouble. How could she think he was good? He was pulled out of his thoughts by somebody calling for his attention to get a drink so he let those thoughts of Beth wander while he continued taking drink orders.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yer in for a treat, baby brother," Merle said as he nodded toward the stage as the lights went down and the spot light turned on. Daryl raised an eyebrow at the back of his older brother as he watched him walk back toward the door, but sit around in his chair to watch the stage. Daryl turned back around just as he saw a woman with short brown hair take the mic.

"Hi, everybody and welcome to Triple L. As most of you know, I'm Tara and now for your entertainment, our very own Beth Greene," said the woman as she moved her arm toward the back of the stage and smiled as Beth walked up the back stairs and onto the stage. Daryl stood there in shock as he watched her walk across the stage and hug the other woman and then watched her chuckle as the other woman wanted to fist bump her. He stared as Beth sat down on a stool in front of the mic and placed her guitar in her lap. The way her hair glimmered in the spot light, it really did look like sunshine. He felt his heart skip just a little and it didn't get any better when she started talking.

"Hi, everybody! I hope you are all havin' a good time," she said in her sweet southern accent. The bar cheered and whistled at her, causing her to smile as a light blush crossed her cheeks. Daryl placed the rag he was using down on the bar and just watched her. She lifted her eyes up and they locked onto his, blue on blue. She held his gaze for a moment and gave him a soft smile that turned into a sly grin as she spoke again.

"Ladies, let's hear it for the new bartender Daryl! " She said as she smiled at him and all the ladies in the bar started clapping and whistling. Daryl blushed and started to turn away, but when he did he turned toward Merle, which was not any better because his brother started cat calling him and whistling as well, a huge grin on his face. When Beth saw the blush that crossed his face, she started laughing and spoke again.

"So, my first song I know is a personal favorite of some of you in the bar, so sing along if you know the words," Beth said as she started strumming her guitar as Maggie sat down in front of Daryl. He was going to ask her if she needed a drink but was broke off when he heard the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard. His gaze went back to Beth as she sang.

%

"_Let go of Julie, and take my hand_

_Let go, it's time to be my man,"_

_%_

As she started, the whole bar started clapping. Daryl looked around and saw most of the people had started singing with her, along with Maggie.

%

"_Let go of Julie, and kiss my face_

_She's standing, she is standing in my place_

_And I'm not normally the jealous, jealous type,_

_But I imagined it'd be you and me tonight._

_And I bet Julie's really smart, oh, you keep saying she's so cool,_

_But if you pick her over me your just a fool."_

_%_

"A huge fool, Beth," Merle called from the door, causing Beth took look up at him from her guitar and smile before she started again, this time her smile was huge as she sang.

%

"_So take home Julie, we'll be drinking at two_

_Take home Julie, we've got catching up to do._

_Just take home Julie, take up my heart;_

_I'm ready, I'm ready to start."_

_%_

Daryl started in awe as the entire bar sang the chorus with her, her smile bright as she sang with them. He could not believe this girl. She was like happiness and light all rolled into one, even singing a song that was about a guy picking somebody else other than her. Hell, if this was true the guy was a complete fool, just like Merle yelled. He leaned forward on the bar and just continued to listen to her, mesmerized by just her presence as she continued to sing.

%

"_I said I was alone and you just laughed out loud._

_How do broken hearts make you so proud?_

_Left my comfy bed, I left my lover of a year_

_To be with you, be with you here._

_And I'm not normally the jealous, jealous type,_

_But you deserve a girl with matching sparkly eyes_

_A girl who makes you dance 'til dawn,_

_Who makes ya wanna write a song,_

_And if you think that is Julie you're wrong._

_So take home Julie, we'll be drinking at two._

_Take home Julie, we've got catching up to do._

_Just take home Julie, take up my heart;_

_I'm ready, I'm ready to start._

_So take home Julie, we'll be drinking at two._

_Take home Julie, we've got catching up to do._

_Just take home Julie, take up my heart;_

_I'm ready, I'm ready to start._

_I'm staring at the ground as she walks right by._

_You're staring at me mad, 'cause I refuse to say 'hi'._

_I'm just staring into space 'cause all I got on my mind,_

_Elevator kisses, summer, summertime._

_Elevator kisses, you and I._

_And I'm not normally the jealous, jealous sort._

_But if we're picking favorites, I am yours._

_And know no Julie doesn't drink,_

_And I'm just hanging at the bar,_

_So, go ahead and call up Julie a car._

_Yeah, go ahead and call up Julie a car._

_Take home Julie, we'll be drinking at two._

_Take home Julie, we've got catching up to do._

_Just take home Julie, take up my heart;_

_I'm ready, I'm ready to start._

_So take home Julie, we'll be drinking at two._

_Take home Julie, we've got catching up to do._

_Just take home Julie, take up my heart;_

_I'm ready, I'm ready to start._

_No I'm not normally the jealous, jealous type,_

_But I imagined it'd be you and me this time._

_Now that Julie's really smart and you keep saying she's so cool,_

_But if you pick her over me you're just a fool."_

_%_

She ended the song to thunderous applause from the bar. Maggie stood and whistled from the back.

"That was amazing," Daryl said as he gazed at her. Maggie turned at his words and smiled.

"Yeah, she wrote that herself. She is an amazing song writer and an even better singer," Maggie boasted about her little sister.

"Incredible," Daryl said as he watched her smile at all of the people in the bar, her eyes landing on his. Her smile increased as they locked eyes and he gave her a small smile back.

"So any requests?" She asked into the mic as she kept her eyes locked on Daryl. She couldn't help herself, there was just something about his eyes that had her hooked and it seemed to be helping with the stage fright she had.

"Patsy Cline," one of the regulars called out, causing Beth to cut her gaze from Daryl and look toward him. She knew which song he wanted. She didn't want to sing it, because it brought up memories she would rather not think about now, but the regular didn't know the other meaning for her, so she started strumming as the crowd started to cheer again.

%

"_I go out walkin' after midnight_

_Out in the moonlight, just like we used to do_

_I'm always walkin' after midnight_

_Searchin' for you_

_I walk for miles along the highway_

_Well, that's just my way of sayin' I love you_

_I'm always walkin' after midnight_

_Searchin' for you"_

_%_

Daryl watched as she choked up for a moment, he could make out a tear in her eye.

"Is she ok?" He asked as Beth kept on singing. When Maggie turned to look at him, he saw the same look in her eyes.

%

"_I stop to see a weepin' willow_

_Cryin' on his pillow_

_Maybe he's cryin' for me_

_And as the skies turn gloomy_

_Night winds whisper to me_

_I'm lonesome as I can be"_

_%_

"Yeah, this song just means a lot to us, that's all. It was one of our Daddy's favorites. He always loved Bethy singing it," Maggie said as she wiped the tear away and turned back to watch her sister. Daryl looked back up at Beth as a thought hit him. Maggie had used the past tense when talking about their Dad. Man, had they lost him too?

%

"_I go out walkin' after midnight_

_Out in the starlight, just hoping you may be_

_Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight_

_Searchin' for me_

_I stop to see a weepin' willow_

_Cryin' on his pillow_

_Maybe he's cryin' for me_

_And as the skies turn gloomy_

_Night winds whisper to me_

_I'm lonesome as I can be_

_I go out walkin' after midnight_

_Out in the starlight, just hoping you may be_

_Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight_

_Searchin' for me"_

_%_

As she stopped and smiled, the bar broke out into applause again. Beth smiled at them all as she casually turned around to try to wipe the tears away, hoping nobody would notice, but Daryl did.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry this one is so short...but I hope you like it anyway! **_

"Daryl, got a favor to ask you," Maggie said as she came up to the bar. It was around closing time and he had started wiping down the bar.

"Hmmm," he mumbled as he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you think you can come in tomorrow morning and help Beth with inventory? One of our servers was supposed too but he crapped out on us." She said as she turned her gaze from his over to Beth as she cleaned off some of the tables. Daryl's gaze following hers to watch the petite blond humming as she cleaned, a soft smile on her lips.

"Sure," he mumbled, Maggie not hearing him as she continued.

"I know it's last minute but it will help you get to learn the stuff we need behind the bar since it will be your job," Maggie continued, a light smirk appearing on Daryl's lips.

"Ok," he said, this time a little louder so she wouldn't keep going. She turned back to face him, a smile almost rivaling her sisters in brilliance on her face.

"Thank you, Daryl! You're a savior," she praised, causing him to grunt a reply.

"What's he saving you from?" Beth asked sweetly as she came up to them at the bar.

"Well Zach just called with some tired excuse," Maggie started, Beth letting out a big sigh at the information.

"Again? We are gunna have to do something about him, Maggie," Beth said, a frown crossing her face as she put her hands on her hips. Daryl watched her with his smirk widening a little, she was cute when she was angry.

"I know. When he comes back in, he's fired. Anyway, Daryl is going to come in tomorrow and help you. He's our savior," Maggie said with a giggle as she placed her hand on Daryl's arm and then left to help Tara finish cleaning. Daryl turned his eyes back to Beth and was rewarded with the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"Thank you, Daryl," she said as she sat down on a stool in front of him.

"S' no problem," Daryl grumbled as he looked down at the bar. Beth smiled softly as she watched him. He came off all hard and tough but he got embarrassed so easily.

"Your singin' was real pretty," he mumbled as he wiped down in front of her, instantly wanting to take back his words as he felt his ears get hot. What was it about this girl that made him talk more than he normally would?

"Thank you," she said softly as she looked at the bar, her eyes lifting slightly to meet his, her soft smile turning bright. That bright smile caused a knot to form in his stomach.

"So I will see you in the morning?" She asked as she stood up.

"Yeah," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Great! Have a good night, Mr. Dixon," she said with a giggle as she turned and started walking toward Maggie.

"Greene," he called out, her blond hair spinning as she turned to look at him, her eyebrow raised.

"What time?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest

"Seven, Mr. Dixon. Don't be late," she said, trying to sound threatening but failing miserably.

"Yes, Ma'am" he said with a smirk. Beth smirked back and turned back around, leaving the bar area. Daryl watched her leave, thinking that there would be no way that he would ever be late and leave her waiting. That thought alone scared him to death.


	6. Chapter 6

_****I might be in the miority but I adored last night's episode! I'm a little upset that Ty is dead, but am extremely thankful that Daryl is still around...even if I didn't get any real arm porn. Also, the lack of a Beth funeral makes me want to hope even more that she really is alive. Loved seeing Emily last night singing in Ty's hallucination...so now I hope you enjoy the story below** **_

Daryl pulled into the back parking lot 10 minutes before 7 that next morning. As he got off of the bike, he cursed himself for not stopping to get a coffee on the way but he had not wanted to be late and keep Beth waiting and Merle had taken the rest of his coffee the day before when he came by his trailer. Normally he was ok with just a few hours of sleep as long as he got his caffeine, so he was hoping that maybe the bar had a stash somewhere that Beth would let him have. As he leaned up against the bike and waited for the blond, his mind went thru the events of the past few weeks. Things had changed so much in just a few weeks' time, the momentum of it almost making Daryl want to just go into the woods and hide for a day or two. That had actually been his plan for his Sunday before Maggie had asked him to help Beth out, and he already felt like he could not tell either one of them no, which scared him. Especially where Beth was concerned.

He thought back to finding out that the mechanics shop he worked at was closing down. The boss Dale had decided it was finally time to retire and was taking his RV to Florida with his wife. He had been so excited about it, Daryl couldn't even be upset. Dale was like a father to him, so much so that he had followed Dale to the little town of Peachtree when Dale decided to move his shop from Senoia to there. He figured it was a fresh start someplace that nobody knew the name Dixon. Merle had not been too happy when he told him, a smile creeping over Daryl's face now as he remembered the screaming match that took place between the two. But in the end Merle realized that Daryl was going no matter what and in his own Merle fashion wished him the best.

He was grateful for Merle helping him find a place to live when he came back to town. Just those few days on Merle's couch were enough to drive him insane. The trailer was not much to look at, but it sat on a small patch of land that was surrounded by trees and had tons of things to hunt. He was even more grateful for Merle helping him get the job at the Triple L. Yes, he didn't really want to go back to bartending, mechanics was what he loved, but the local shop in town was not hiring and no matter how much he wanted too, he didn't have the money to open up his own shop….not yet anyway. Merle had been clean the entire time he had worked for the Triple L and he knew that Greene girls had something to do with it, and if he could help them out in any way he would. As he thought about the Greene girls, Beth jumped out in his mind to him. Just in one day he knew that she was different than any other woman he had ever met. Yes, she was beautiful. Stunningly beautiful, like a sunset or a fire. Something that if you stared to long at it, you thought you would get burned. She was also sweet and caring; he could see that in the first few moments after he met her. The way she treated Merle, hardly anybody treated a Dixon that way.

Daryl was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of truck tires on gravel. He looked up to see Beth pulling up beside of him in a rundown Chevy pickup truck. When she turned to look at him, a smile spread across her face. He walked to the side of her truck and opened her car door for her, causing her smile to get wider and brighter.

"A true southern gentleman. I thought you were all extinct." She said with a giggle as she reached over her seat and pulled up a tray, handing him one of the coffee's inside it. His looked up at her, his eyebrow raised.

"For me?" he asked as he eyed it questionably.

"Yes, for you. Figured you might need it since you didn't even leave here last night till after 2 am. And I know I am not the wonderful, pleasant ray of sunshine I am without my coffee" she said with a smile as she slid out of the truck.

"And don't worry, I didn't poison it" she added with a chuckle as he still eyed her and the coffee warily. After a second his face softened and he smirked a little as he took a drink.

"Thanks. You didn't have too" he said as he shut her door and followed her to the back door of the bar.

"Course I did. You have been a godsend to us already. Being able to start right away and then coming in this morning when Zach couldn't be bothered" she said as she unlocked the door and moved to hold it open for him. He shook his head and put his hand on the back of the door, holding it open for her.

"See, just what I said, a true southern gentleman" she said as she walked into the bar.

"Nothing gentlemanly about me" he mumbled as he shut the door behind her.

"I disagree Dixon" she said as she walked toward the bar and sat her purse on the top. He couldn't help but watch the gentle sway of her hips again as she walked. Her whole body was made up of delicate curves and for a moment he thought about what it would be like to gently slide his hand over all of those curves. She turned then and caught his eye, his cheeks and ears turning red as he hoped she could not read on his face what he was thinking about. If she could tell, she didn't let on as she just smiled at him. That damn smile!

"Come on Daryl, I will show you the stock room and we can get down to it" she said as she motioned for him to follow her, her blue eyes shining brightly into his, like they were looking into his soul. He took a deep breath and followed behind her, watching the sway again as he tried to get a grip of his thoughts. If he didn't, this was going to be a long day.


	7. Chapter 7

"So what made you come back to Senoia, Daryl?" Beth asked as she counted the bottles of Vodka they had on the shelf.

"Dale, the guy who's auto shop I worked in. He retired, and moved to Florida so I lost m' job," Daryl mumbled as he focused on the bottles of tequila.

"Why did you leave in the first place?" she asked as she looked over at him, her blue eyes shining in the light.

"Dale opened his shop and needed a mechanic," he said as he looked at her for a moment. His eyes locking on hers. As she smiled at him, he turned his attention back to the tequila.

"Did you like being a mechanic?" she continued, this time stopping all of her counting and sitting down on a wooden crate. She saw Daryl's lips turn into a very small smile as he turned to her.

"I did. It's all I have ever wanted to do," he replied as he stopped his sorting and sat down on the crate beside her.

"Then why are you here with us? Not that I am complaining," she said with a bright smile, his ears turning a slight red at her words.

"The only auto shop in town is not hiring," he grumbled. She got the feeling there was more to it than just that but she didn't press.

"Well it's their loss and our gain. Cuz if you are as good at working on cars as you are with making shots, you're a genius," she replied with another smile and nudged his arm. He chuckled just a little and she swore it was one of the nicest things she had ever heard. That and his voice. She swore she would listen to him read the phone book.

"What about you? What's your story?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I'm in college, only two classes away from my degree. I graduate in two weeks. I majored in Education, minored in Business. I want to be a music teacher, but if that doesn't work out, then I can use my business degree and just stay here, since this is also my love," she said as she motioned around her at the bar.

"Music teachers certainly didn't look like you when I was in school. If they did, I might have stayed," he mumbled, louder than he had wanted too. When he looked up and saw the smile on her face at his words, his ears turned a bright red. As she was about to reply to him, they were interrupted by a noise in the bar.

"Beth! Beth, you here," they heard the voice call. Beth sighed and rolled her eyes as Daryl looked at her questionally.

"It's Zach. I will be right back. Guess I need to take care of this now," she said with a shake of her head. Daryl reached out and grabbed her wrist, wrapping his fingers around her tightly.

"You want me to come w' you?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"It will be fine. I'll be right back," she said with a smile. He forced a smile on his face and reluctantly let go of her wrist. The soft feel of her skin still tingling in his fingers.

Beth gently caressed her wrist with her fingers as she walked into the bar area. The feel of his calloused fingers on her still burned on her skin.

"What are you doing here Zach? Thought you were busy," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"It fell thru so I came in, what's the big deal?" he asked, his voice raising just a little. Beth could tell by looking at him that he was drunk, probably still from the night before and he also looked like he was on something.

"The big deal is that this is your job, well was your job," she said as she placed her one hand on the bar and faced him.

"What do you mean by that," he screamed, his face getting right in her face.

"You're fired Zach. Get your stuff out of your locker and leave," she said, her eyes narrowed as the anger in her started to build.

"I don't think so," he said angrily as he moved toward her. Beth moved back until her back hit the bar, blocking her from moving away any further.

He grabbed a hold of her arms, Beth trying to struggle away from him as she felt his fingers digging into her upper arms.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're just some stuck up college bitch who thinks she is better than everybody else. Yer not better than me just because your whole family is dead. They probably all wanted to die to get away from you. Maggie just hasn't figured it out yet," he sneered as he shoved her into the bar roughly. She closed her eyes at his words and his face near her neck. She waited for the second shove, but instead she felt his weight off of her, a growl that sounded like it was from a rabid animal and then a thud on the bar beside her. She opened her eyes to see Daryl over Zach, shoving his face into the bar.

"You don't fuckin' touch her!" Daryl growled as he shoved Zach's face into the bar harder, wrapping Zach's arm behind his back, causing Zach to cry out in pain.

"Did he hurt you?" Daryl asked, his voice still low and gruff. It sent a shiver thru her as did the view of his muscles rippling as he held Zach down.

"I'm fine," she said softly as she looked from him to Zach and rubbed her arms. Daryl could see the bruises already starting to form on her arms in the shape of fingers and he pulled Zach's head up just so he could push it back into the bar harder, growling again under his breath.

"Beth, grab my phone out of my pocket," Daryl gruffly said as he looked at her, trying to catch her eyes again.

"Beth, grab my phone," he said a little more sternly, this time her eyes flashing back up to him. She nodded and reached into his pocket. He had to fight back the urge to growl at the feel of her hands that close to him, there was more important things to think about right now, like this piece of shit that just had his hands on her. If he could, he would rip his arms off and feed him to some rabid wolves. She looked up at him when she pulled the phone out.

"Go to my contacts and find Rick and then hold the phone up to my ear," he said, trying to keep his voice calm for her. He was not about to let this fool go with her close by.

Beth nodded and searched his phone. When she found the name Rick Grimes she smiled a little. Daryl knew the sheriff.

"Rick, yeah it's me. We got a situation here at the Triple L. Can you get here right away? Yeah, it's an emergency. Well if you don't get here soon, I'm gunna rip this assholes arms off. Ok, I will give you five minutes," he nodded toward Beth to end the call and then moved to hold Zach down more.

/

"Beth, are you sure you are ok?" Rick asked as he moved in front of her and placed an arm on her shoulder. She smiled up at him and nodded. She had always liked Rick Grimes. She had babysat for him and his wife Lori for years, and after Lori had passed away during childbirth, she was around to help with Judith as well. She had no idea though that Rick and Daryl were such good friends. She could tell just by watching their interactions as Rick took in the scene.

"Are you sure that you are ok?" Daryl asked roughly as he sat down in the bar stool beside her. Rick had left to take Zach to the station. He had said that he might need another statement from Beth and Daryl later, but right now they were both free to go. He did want her to go to the emergency room just to get checked out and for the report.

"I'm fine," she said softly as she rubbed her arms again. She stopped when she felt a calloused finger trace the bruise that had formed on her arm. She sighed a little at the feel of his fingers on her and looked up at him, a small smile on her lips.

"Well I guess you won't want to do inventory anymore with me after today," she said with a little chuckle.

"You always have assholes try to attack you every time you do inventory?" he growled with a raised eyebrow.

"Well...one time the zombie apocalypse happened," she said with a smile, instantly lightening his mood to where a small smile came across his lips.

"Sorry I missed that one," he said with a soft chuckle.

"Me too. You would have saved the day then too. My hero," she said with a sweet smile.

"I ain't nobodies hero," he said as he looked at the ground, his ears turning red again.

"Nope, Daryl Dixon. Your mine." She said as she stood and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt him tense up just a little and then start to relax as he placed his hands on her elbows, pulling her closer to him just a little.

"Maybe I will get you a cape," she mumbled into his chest. She felt him chuckle under her and she smiled.

"Mm hmmm. Come on Greene, let's take you to get checked out," he said as he pulled away from her and motioned for her to follow him. The warmth of his body against hers washing away everything else that had happened to her today.


	8. Chapter 8

_****I'm sorry if I made you all wait too long for this chapter. I don't want to be one of those fic writers that keeps people waiting, just totally falls off and stops writing, or begs for reviews. I appreciate and love all of you reading and reviewing this one and my other Bethyl fic. I hope you all like this chapter - Heather****_

"You don't gotta drive me Daryl" Beth said as he pulled her truck keys out of her purse. Daryl just shook his head and grabbed them out of her hand.

"Your not gettin' rid of me that easy. We will take 'er truck now get in" he said as he walked over and held the passenger door open for her. Beth shook her head, a smile forming on her lips. He might come off as a gruff but Daryl really was sweet.

"Yes Mr. Dixon" she said with a formal tone as she climbed into the truck, Daryl grunting a response as he slammed it shut.

"Ya gunna call Maggie?" he asked as he watched her pull her phone out from the corner of his eyes as he drove. Beth nodded her head and sighed, she hated to tell Maggie what happened. Maggie would blame herself for what happened. She sighed again as she listened to the song Maggie had as her ringtone. Usually listening to "Back In Black" by AC/DC would make her smile, but right now she was just hoping that it would continue. Unfortunately after a few moments her sisters sing song voice came on the other end.

"Bethy….hey, how is inventory going? Daryl wear a sleeveless shirt again?" she asked with a chuckle. Beth's cheeks flushed just a little as she glanced over at Daryl.

"Yeah! Listen Maggie, um something happened during inventory" Beth started, her voice cracking just a little.

"What happened?" Maggie asked urgently, picking up instantly that something was wrong with her baby sister.

"Zach showed up. I told him he was fired and he got a little aggressive" Beth started.

"What do you mean he got aggressive? Are you ok Beth?" Maggie asked, the worry and anger rising in her voice.

"He was drunk and high. He grabbed me and threw me up against the bar. Daryl stopped it though and held him till the sheriff got there. He is taking me to the hospital now" Beth said the last part a little hesitantly, she knew her sister and as soon as she said hospital she was going to freak out and she didn't disappoint.

"What do you mean the hospital? You said you were ok so why do you have to go there? I'm gunna meet you, which one is Daryl taking you too? I should have just fired him yesterday when I had him on the phone" Maggie cried in a flurry of words.

"Maggie, I am fine. Rick suggested that I go for the report. I only have a few bruises on my arms and I think I might have one on my back from the bar railing. Other than that I am fine" Beth tried to convince her sister.

"Let me talk to Daryl" Maggie demanded

"He is driving" Beth stated back

"Now Beth, unless you want me coming all the way to the hospital and making a scene" she argued back. Beth sighed and handed the phone over to him. He turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She just shrugged as he took the phone.

"Yeah" he asked as he held it up to his ear.

"She has a bruise on each arm from where that sumbitch grabbed her. I aint seen 'er back but I'll make sure they check that too" he said with sincerity as he kept his eyes on the road.

"It's nothin'" he said solemly as she watched him grip the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles went white.

"Rick arrested him" he answered whatever question Maggie had asked, she assumed it was about Zach.

"I will. Ok" he finished and then handed the phone back over to Beth. She just looked at him for a moment, the tips of his ears were red again and she wondered what Maggie had said to him.

"Hey" Beth said as she put the phone back up to her ear.

"Bethy, I'm so glad he was there to help you" Maggie said softly after a few moments.

"I am too" Beth breathed as she looked over at Daryl. He turned to face her then and she smiled brightly at him. He managed to turn his lips up just a little into a smile and then turned back to the road, his ears still red.

"You call me when you are done. Let me know if you need a ride of anything. I love you Bethy" Maggie said, her voice filled with worry still.

"I will Mags, and I love you too" Beth replied sweetly as she hung up the phone. She leaned her head back and sighed softly.

"You ok?" Daryl asked gruffly as he glanced over at her and then back to the road.

"Yeah, she just is overprotective. Since my Mom, Dad and Shawn are all gone, Maggie is very protective of me. But I guess I am the same way about her too. She is my only blood family I got left" she said as she opened her eyes and looked at him. The way the sun shined into the truck lit up his dark brown hair, making her want to reach out and move it out of his eyes. She fought the urge and closed her eyes again.

"Of course, blood don't make you family. Glenn is of course like a brother to me now, as is Merle" she said with a chuckle.

"You can keep 'em if you want" Daryl chuckled as he pulled into one of the spots at the hospital and got out of the truck, running over to her side to open her door for her and helping her out.

"A true southern gentleman" she said again as she looked up at him with a smile. He replied with something that sounded like a grunt and took her arm, leading her toward the emergency room doors.

/

A few hours and a few hundred forms later, Daryl and Beth were leaving the hospital with a bottle of pain meds and tired faces. As he helped her back into the truck and got in, he thought back to her exam. He was going to leave her with the doctor, but Beth grabbed his wrist and asked him to stay. He had wanted to give them privacy, but her blue eyes were pleading with him and he found himself saying yes before he could rethink it. The bruises on her arms he had already seen and they had been enough, but when she pulled her shirt up for the doctor so he could see her back, he felt the blind rage coming back again and all he saw was red. He had to clench and unclench his fists as he fought back the memory of his mother having bruises like that at one point in time too. He was thankful to whatever God there was that he was there with Beth today. The rage was getting to him and he was thinking he might have to get out and get air when he felt her hand grab his. When she intertwined their fingers together and he raised his gaze to meet hers, he felt the rage start to dissolve.

"Do you want me to take you to Maggie's?" he asked as he started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.

"No, I should be fine. I don't think I'm gunna take these anyway" she said as she looked at the bottle.

"You gotta, they said you need rest and they will help you. But they said you shouldn't be alone tonight" he said, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I'll be ok" she said softly. She really didn't want to intrude on Maggie and Glenn, even though she knew she was welcome anytime. She heard Daryl sigh as he pulled his hand up to his mouth and started chewing on his thumb.

"Ok, where do ya live?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the road. She looked over at him and then gave him directions to her place. It was an apartment just a few blocks from the bar. He pulled into her spot and parked. She started to open the door and he grunted and shot her a warning look as he got out and walked around, opening the door for her. She smiled and let him help her out. He followed her up to her apartment and she opened the door to have him come in. As he looked around, he instantly knew that it fit Beth perfectly. It was brightly colored and warm, her guitar sitting in the corner beside a keyboard. He plopped himself down on the couch, taking off his boots and laying down. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well ya said ya wasn't gunna call Maggie, and ya can't be alone. So I'm staying on the couch so you can rest." He said as he laid back against her throw pillows.

"Daryl ya don't have ta" she said softly. He just ignored her and folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. She shook her head with a sigh. It seems like Dixon's were just as stubborn as Greenes. She walked over to him, leaned down and softly placed her lips against his cheek. His eyes flew open at her touch, not expecting her to do anything like that.

"Thanks Daryl, for everything" she said softly as she pulled back and walked toward the door to her bedroom.

"'s nothing" he replied back horsely

"I think I'm gunna make your cape red….or maybe black" she said with a giggle, then letting out a squeal when he threw one of her throw pillows at her, hitting her bedroom door as she ducked inside.

"Damn girl" he grumbled as he folded his arms back under his head and shut his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl grumbled and reached for his phone as it started vibrating in his pocket. He threw a glance over at the door Beth had gone into just a few seconds before and then looked at his phone. He let out a huge sigh when he saw the name and answered.

"Yeah," he said gruffly

"Baby Brother! What's this I hear about Beth getting hurt today by that asshat Zach? What the hell happened?" Merle angrily asked. Daryl sighed again, guessing that Maggie must have told him.

"Zach showed up. Beth fired him and he grabbed her arms and pushed her against the bar. Trust me, that asshole will not touch her again," Daryl growled, thinking of that prissy momma's boy touching Beth. Her porcelain skin being marked because of him.

"Yeah, Maggie said you handled it and called Rick. Glad you have Officer Friendly on speed dial," Merle replied with a chuckle, which Daryl couldn't help return at Merle mentioning the nickname he had for his best friend. It was Rick's own fault though, for calling himself that the first time he ever had to arrest Merle. Now, Merle being Merle, he was never going to get rid of it.

"How is she?" Merle asked after a moment of silence. Daryl glanced back at the door as he replied.

"She has two bruises on her arms from where the sumbitch grabbed her and one on her back from when he pushed her into the bar rail. Other than that she is fine. They gave her some pain meds but they said she can't be alone and she didn't want to go to Maggie's so I'm stayin' with her," Daryl said, bracing himself as he said the last part.

"Oooo, lookey at my Baby Brother trying to get himself some of Sweet Pea," Merle teased.

"It's not like that," Daryl growled at him as he could feel his ears turning pink.

"Chicks totally dig that whole knight in shining armor BS, Darylina, you could get in her pants if you want," Merle teased again with a laugh.

"Shut up, Merle, you know I would never do that. Not when she is hurt like this," he stated gruffly, the anger present in his voice.

"Oh, so you would try under normal circumstances," Merle laughed.

"Shut up," Daryl growled

"Oh simmer down, Darylina. I'm just messing with you. That's what big brothers are good for right?" Merle asked with another laugh.

"Guess they gotta be good for somethin'," Daryl grumbled, leading to Merle laughing again. He was about to tell him to shut up again when the door to the bedroom opened and Beth came out, a huge smile on her face.

"Daryl, are you hungry? The pill bottle says I have to eat before I take them and I have not had anythin' all day," she exclaimed with a brilliant smile on her face. Daryl could hear Merle laughing in the background, apparently hearing everything she had said too.

"I gotta go, Merle," Daryl grumbled. He heard Merle's laughter as he pushed the end button on his phone and looked up at her. This time he got a good look at her and lost all thought of what she had asked him. She was standing there in a tank top that seemed to hug every curve and a pair of pajama pants. His gaze wandered over her slowly and when his eyes locked with hers, he knew that she had caught him.

"Um, what?" he asked just above a mumble, his ears instantly hot. Beth smiled brightly at him again and walked closer to him. God, she smelled like cherries, how in the hell did she smell like cherries when we just got back from the hospital not 15 minutes ago?

"Are you hungry? I'm thinking of ordering a pizza. I need to take the pills on a full stomach. What do you like on yours?" she asked as she stood in front of him, his eyes right at the level of where her tank top stopped and the pale patch of skin that separated it from her pajama pants. He had to look away, anywhere but at her as his thoughts went to how it would feel to run his fingers over that spot.

"Um, peperoni or sausage is fine with me" he mumbled as he focused on a piece of string on the bottom of his flannel shirt.

"Awesome! I'll order now. Since it's me, Glenn might deliver it" Beth stated happily as she skipped over to her phone that she had put on the ledge that separated her living room from her kitchen. Daryl watched her and sighed slightly as he sunk into the couch a little deeper, trying to push his thoughts aside.

"Would you like something to drink?" she called from the kitchen.

"Sure, what do you got?" he asked as he looked over toward her.

"Iced Tea, soda, water and beer" she called back and he could just hear the smile on her face.

"Beer's fine" he replied back as he stood and started looking at the pictures she had all over. He stopped in front of one that showed an entire family smiling. In the front was probably the cutest, blond haired, blue eyed girl he had ever seen. Beth couldn't have been no more than 6 or 7 in the picture, pig tails on each side of her head and a pink sundress on. Next to that picture was one of just her, Maggie and a guy he had to guess was Shawn. Shawn was in the middle, his arm around both of them as he pulled them in for the picture. He smiled a little at the huge grin on Beth's face.

"Here you go" Beth called as she walked back in, causing him to jump and place the picture back on the shelf.

"Sorry" he said, his eyes hitting the floor and his ears turning red again like he was caught doing something wrong. Beth just smiled brightly at him and walked up beside of him, handing him his beer and then taking the picture that he had just put down into her hands.

"That's my older brother Shawn. I miss him all the time. I miss him bossing me around and being all protective." She said as she placed it back down and then picked up the one beside it, the one he had been looking at before.

"This was taken on Maggie's 12th birthday. That's Maggie, Shawn, my Momma Annette, my Daddy Hershel, and of course that's me. I'm like all head in that picture, head and hair" she said with a chuckle as she put the picture down.

"Naw, yer cute" Daryl mumbled before he could catch himself. Beth looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Thanks Daryl. Now, come sit. We can watch something before the pizza gets here. What kinda movies do you like?" she asked as she took his hand and led him over to the couch. The feel of her fingers intertwining with his, her delicate hand resting in his calloused one took her breath away for a moment, but she continued to pull him toward the couch and sat down on the other end. She could tell he was kinda nervous and he was already doing so much for her, she didn't want to scare him off.

"I like horror movies" he mumbled as she started looking thru her DVD collection. Beth looked up at him and he was dazzled by the smile on her face.

"Me too! Maggie and Shawn used to make me watch them as a kid. They used to scare me so much, but I forced myself to watch them alone so Maggie and Shawn couldn't scare me anymore and ever since then I have been hooked. My favorite is the Halloween series….except for #3 because hell Michael Myers is not even in it." Beth said with a roll of her eyes and as shake of her head. Daryl couldn't help but laugh.

"Halloween is my favorite too, that and Frankenstein. Actually all of the old black and white ones I like" Daryl mumbled again, but Beth was realizing that she could understand him perfectly, even when he mumbled and she loved that.

Ok, well I have Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula or Halloween….which one?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Halloween" Daryl said with his own grin back, well it was a grin in the Daryl Dixon range of smiles and Beth decided she would take it. She put Halloween into the DVD player, turned off the lights and sat at the other end of the couch, but this time pulling her legs up beside of her. Her couch was not too big and her toes were barely touching his leg. He didn't seem to mind, so she kept them there and smiled to herself as the movie started. She could get used to having Daryl Dixon as a friend.


	10. Chapter 10

_****This is more of a "getting to know you" chapter. Hope you all like it****_

"So what do you do for fun, Daryl?" Beth asked as she took a bite of her pizza and looked over at him. They had stopped watching the movie when the pizza man arrived. Beth had been kinda bummed that Glenn had not been able to deliver it, but the kid that did said that he had already left for the night.

"Huntin' usually" He mumbled as he took a bite of his pizza and saw a smile form on her face.

"Is it fun? Huntin' I mean. I bet it's peaceful out there, in the woods like that" she said with a whisful look on her face as she smiled at him.

"Yeah I guess it is. I always liked bein' in the woods and huntin' was always something I did" he said as he sat his plate on the table and took a drink of his beer.

"What do you hunt with, a riffle? That's what my Daddy and Otis usually used, but they never actually seemed to be able to catch anything" she said with a soft chuckle as her mind was filled with memories of her Daddy.

"I use a crossbow," he mumbled as he tried to pull her out of her thoughts. As he saw the light come back into her eyes he sighed just a little. Her eyes sparkled at the mention of his crossbow.

"Really? That's really impressive. Bet you catch stuff all the time. Daddy caught a deer once. I remember it was so good but they never seemed to be able to catch another one" She said as she smiled brightly at him.

"Not really impressive. Just a skill I had to learn," he mumbled as he looked at her "Next time I get a deer, I will bring you some meet" he added, not really sure where the idea came from. The smile on her face though made him like the idea.

"Thank you Daryl. That would be awesome" she exclaimed excitedly, already thinking about what she would make with it. Daryl's lips turned upwards a little at how excited she was.

"What bout you?" he mumbled after a minute. She looked at him with a confused, raised eyebrow. "Do for fun?" he added as the smile came back across her face.

"Oh" she said with a chuckle "I like being outdoors. I try to go hiking as much as I can. I also spend a lot of time writing music" she continued with a smile.

"Your songs 'r good" he said as he looked down at the beer in his hands. She smiled at him, seeing his ears turn red.

"Thanks, Daryl" she said, then decided to leave it at that. She didn't want to embarrass him any further and she figured just him opening up this much to her was unusual for him. She also felt the pills starting to take effect as she let out a yawn. She sat her plate on the table and curled her legs up beside her.

"You a'right?" he asked as he eyed her. Her eyes had started to glass over just a little and he could see the fatigue start to set in.

"I think the pills are starting to work. Let's start the movie back up" she mumbled as she reached for the remote. Daryl nodded and turned the light back off. He watched as she curled down into the couch. After a few moments, she moved again and her feet moved to be on his lap. He froze for a moment, tensing up at the contact. He turned to look at her and noticed that she was already asleep. She looked so peaceful, like some sort of goddess lying beside him. He gently moved her feet off of his lap and stood up. Before he could over think it, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the room he assumed was her bedroom. He gently laid her down on the yellow comforter and then covered her up with a blanket that was on top. He softly moved a curl off of her face and she moved her head into his touch, smiling slightly in her sleep.

"Mmmm, Daryl" she murmered in her sleep as she curled into a ball. He stood there staring at her for a moment. Did she really just say his name in her sleep? Had to just be because she knew subconsciously he was there. Couldn't have been for another reason, there is no way. Slowly he crept out of her room and closed the door, leaving it just barely open in case she needed anything. He made his way back to the couch and sat down, letting out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding in as he turned the movie back on. He needed to get his mind off of the blond, beautiful goddess in the next room.


	11. Chapter 11

The sound of humming and the smell of bacon caused Daryl to open his eyes wearily. For a moment he forgot where he was as his eyes darted around the room and he sat up from the couch before the events of the day before came rushing back to him. The humming sound caused a small smile to creep across his face as the smell of bacon caused his stomach to rumble in anger…..his mind going to one thought, 'BETH'. He ran a hand thru his hair and stood up, cracking his back as he did so. The couch might have been comfortable but it still did a number on him.

Beth had not noticed him come up to the doorway of the kitchen as she hummed a tune and shook her hips while she fried the bacon. He saw a stack of pancakes and toast already on plates and also saw eggs in another pan frying. 'Man, when this girl cooked, she goes all out' he thought to himself as he watched her hum and gently sway her hips. He couldn't help but notice how the cut off jean shorts she had put on hugged her ass nicely. He ran his gaze up and down her body and swore to himself that he had never seen anybody more beautiful, more perfect than Beth Greene, and that thought alone made him feel like dirt for eyeing her the way he was. She certainly would not want some dirty redneck touching her, let alone leering at her. His eyes fell on the bruises she had on her arms causing his eyes to narrow again at the thought of Zach grabbing her. Before he could get any madder at the thought however, Beth turned and saw him standing in the doorway, causing her to jump and drop the spatula that she had in her hand.

"Oh my god Daryl, you scared me" she exclaimed as she placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm her breathing.

"M sorry" he mumbled as he looked down at the ground, hoping she didn't notice the way he had been looking at her. He could just feel the tips of his ears turning red.

"It's ok. I just didn't hear you. When I cook, I get lost in my own little world. Hope you're hungry" she said as she motioned to all the food she was cooking. If she had seen the way he was looking at her, she acted like she didn't, which he was grateful for.

"You didn't need to cook all this" he said as he walked over to the island counter and sat on one of the stools.

"Yes I did. I wanted to thank you again for what you did for me" she said with one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen.

"S nothing" he said as he looked down at his hands that were on the table. His eyes darted back up to her when her hand covered his. As his eyes locked on hers, he was met with some of the most emotion filled eyes he had ever seen, taking his breath away.

"Yes Daryl, it was. You saved me and then took care of me. You just met me and still, you did all of that. You are a good man Daryl Dixon and you will let me feed you " she said the last part with a little smirk on her lips. He couldn't help himself, letting out a little chuckle as well and nodded his head. She let her hand linger on his for another second, then giving it a slight squeeze she let it go and went back to cooking. He instantly wanted her hand back on his, but knew that it was not right. She was perfect, everything about her was perfect and clean and sweet….three words that would never be associated with a Dixon.

"You ok Daryl?" she asked as she turned back to face him, her hands holding two plates of food.

"M fine, just thinkin'" he mumbled as he stood up and took the plates from her hands. She raised her eyebrow at him, not really believing him but then motioned for him to take the plates to the table as she grabbed the other plates and pot of coffee. Beth said a silent grace, Daryl also bowing his head. As she breathed out "Amen" she smiled at him.

"Dig in" she said as she started reaching for the eggs.

"This is so good Beth" Daryl mumbled with his mouth full of food. Beth looked over at him and smiled brightly at him. She had never seen anything cuter than the way that Daryl Dixon ate. Yes, it could have been more mannerly, but she didn't care. In her opinion, it was adorable and just added to the amazing things that made up this mystery of a man that was sitting across from her.

"So what are your plans for today?" she asked as she swallowed some bacon.

"Prolly go huntin' for a little bit, not real sure" he said as he chewed more of his eggs and grabbed another piece of toast.

"Well if you are back before 6, you should come to the farm for dinner. We always have Sunday dinner there. Maggie and I decided to keep it going, even though" her voice trailed off for a moment and Daryl looked up at her. He could see the war raging in her eyes before she spoke again "well usually it's just me, Maggie, Glenn, Otis and Patricia. Merle has come a few times, but the past few weeks he hasn't come. I would love it if you both could come tonight" she said, the war being won in her eyes by the hopeful, happy side of her.

"You sure? Wouldn't want to impose" he said as he took a drink of his coffee.

"Of course. You are never an imposition Daryl. You are Merle are family" she said matter of factly with a head nod and a huge smile.

"And there is always room at our table for my hero" she said with a sly grin, causing him to roll his eyes at her but a small smile to form on his lips too. "And I won't take no for an answer" she continued, her grin staying on her lips as she put her hands on her hips.

"People be stupid to tell you no" he mumbled, lifting his eyes to see that Beth's cheeks had gotten a little flushed from his words as his ears turned red again.

"So that means you will come?" she asked, the huge smile back on her face along with the blush still placed on her cheeks.

"Guess so, since you told me I couldn't say no. Yer food's not bad either" he said as he shoved another piece of bacon in his mouth. Beth chuckled as she watched him, thankful that he had said yes. She wanted to get to know him better. Wanted to delve deeper into the mystery that was Daryl Dixon.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey Mags, if you get to the farm before me set two more places for dinner" she said as she moved around her bedroom, her sister's voice laughing in the background of the call.

"I was going to tell you the same thing. Who did you invite?" Maggie asked her with a chuckle.

"Daryl and Merle. Who did you invite?" she asked back, her eyebrows raised even though her sister could not see it.

"Aaron and Eric. They are back in town for the weekend and you know how much they love your spaghetti and meatballs" Maggie said, with a hopeful tone to her voice.

"Oh, so I take it that is what you want me to make tonight?" Beth said, trying to make her voice sound annoyed but her sister only laughed.

"Yes please. We love you bunches and bunches and bunches Bethy" Maggie said. Beth laughed as she could hear Aaron and Eric in the background saying it over and over too.

"Ok fine. I will finish getting ready and then head to the store. Anything else you think we need?" Beth asked as she searched her closet for something to wear.

"Well you know how much Merle loves your garlic bread. So wait, you asked Daryl and Merle? How was it spending the night with Daryl? Did you get to feel his arms? Are they feel as magnificent as they look? Spill Bethy, all the juicy details." Maggie said with a chuckle. Beth smiled as she could hear Eric in the background make a comment asking who has nice arms.

"You know it was not like that. He slept on the couch and was a real gentleman. There are times that I cannot believe that him and Merle are even related. He is so quiet, so shy. " Beth said with a small smile as she thought back to that morning when Daryl had gotten his stuff together to leave. As he walked to the door, Beth walked up to him, handing him a piece of paper. He looked back at her with his eyebrow raised...

"_It's the directions to the farm in case Merle doesn't want to come. It also has my cell number on it in case you get lost or whatever" she said, trying to will her voice to not sound so nervous. She looked up and locked eyes with him. They really were the most brilliant blue she had ever seen and they held her gaze for a moment before he nodded and took the paper from her hands. Beth smiled at him as he did, his eyes still never leaving hers. His gaze was making her stomach's do backflips, but it also made her feel a little brave, so she leaned up and gently placed her lips to his cheek. She felt him freeze under her so she quickly dropped back down and smiled back up at him. His eyes had become a dark blue, the tips of his ears turning read. _

"_Thank you again, Daryl. For everything" she said just above a whisper. He quickly tore his gaze from her, making her instantly feel less brave and nodded his head. _

"_See ya tonight at 6" he mumbled as he opened the door and started to walk out._

"_Hey Daryl" she called, causing him to turn around, those blue eyes of his locking onto hers as a smile spread across her face. _

"_What kinda pie do you like?" she asked sweetly. She could see his forehead crinkle up for a second before the corners of his lips turned upward._

"_Cherry" he mumbled as he turned and shut the door behind him. _

"Bethy, you still there?" Maggie's voice drug her out of her memory.

"Yeah sorry, was just thinking about what I needed for tonight. " Beth quickly lied with a sigh.

"You sure you were not thinking about a certain quiet, shy redneck who saves damsels in distress?" Maggie asked with a laugh.

"Oh stop Maggie. You leave him alone tonight too. He is Merle's brother and therefore family too. We want him to feel comfortable around us, not shy or nervous" Beth said as she pulled out a beautiful yellow sundress and her favorite cowboy boots.

"I'm not going to do nothing but hero worship him too. He saved your life and that makes him one of my all-time favorite people. How are you feeling anyway?" Maggie asked, her voice going a little quieter.

"I'm fine, really. The bruises really do not hurt that much anymore." She said as she laid her clothes on her bed.

"If I ever see that bastard, he is going to wish that Daryl killed him" Maggie seethed, causing Beth to smile at her protective sister.

"Listen Mags, I gotta go so I can get ready. I will see you and Glenn when you get to the farm. Tell Aaron and Eric hi and that I cannot wait to see them." Beth said as she sat down on her bed.

"Ok Bethy, see you then. Love you" Maggie said happily.

"Love you too. Bye" Beth said as she hung up and sighed. She turned and looked at her bed as a thought came to her. The last thing she remembered about last night was falling asleep on the couch but this morning she woke up in her bed. A smile crept across her face at the thought of Daryl carrying her into her room. She just wished she remembered how it felt to be in his arms. She imagined it would feel safe, warm. She stood up and started to get dressed. She was more excited about this Sunday dinner then she had been in a long time.


	13. Chapter 13

"Merle, you ready?" Daryl yelled as he walked into his brother's rundown trailer. He remembered when he used to walk into this same trailer and there would be pill and booze bottles all scattered on the floor and tables. Yes, Merle still drank but it was nothing like before and he had been off of pills for a long time now. Daryl had to smile when he saw that the place was actually neat. He wasn't sure if he could ever really get used to his brother being clean, and he would always have a fear of him falling off the wagon, but he did like his brother like this.

"Yeah, keep your panties on Darylina. You in'a hurry or somethin'?" Merle asked as he walked out of the bedroom and grabbed his leather jacket.

"Naw, just don't wanna be late is all" Daryl grumbled as he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at the floor. Merle studied his brother for a moment and went on with putting his jacket on.

"You have any idea what Sweet Pea is makin' tonight?" Merle asked as he grabbed his keys off of the table and turned to his brother.

"Naw, she didn't say" Daryl said as he opened the door and walked out, Merle following behind and locking the door.

"Man, I hope it's her spaghetti and meatballs. It's so damn good. Hell everything Sweet Pea makes is good" he said as he licked his lips and followed Daryl toward his truck. "Bet she is good at other things too….Huh Baby Brother?" he continued as he elbowed Daryl in the side. Daryl just grumbled a "shut the fuck up" to him and walked to the drivers side of his truck.

"Should we bring somethin'?" he asked Merle as they climbed into his black, Chevy pickup. He had been thinking about it ever since he left Beth's that morning. Should they bring something to dinner? What do people normally do in situations like this? Bring flowers or wine or dessert? He figured by Beth's question about pie that she was going to be making dessert so that was out. He placed his thumb in his mouth and chewed on the corner as he looked at Merle for a response.

"Hell I don't know….never did 'fore" Merle said with a shrug. Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother and his truck came to life with a roar as he turned the key.

"We should prolly bring somethin'….wine or flowers or some shit like that since they are feedin' us" Daryl grumbled as he pulled out of his brother's dirt driveway. Merle looked over at his brother and busted out laughing.

"Ok Baby Brother….whatever you want"

%%%

Daryl and Merle pulled up the driveway of the Greene farm a little before 6. Daryl gasped a little at the beautiful white house in front of him and all of the land outstretched around it. He thought about the life that Beth and Maggie must have had there, filled with love and family. Nothing like his and Merle's life growing up. He felt a little out of place as he pulled the truck to a stop beside of Beth's and shut off the engine. He turned to look at his brother, who with the huge smile on his face was already getting out of the truck.

"Come on Baby Brother" Merle called as he shut the door and started toward the house. Daryl's gaze turned toward the house when he heard the screen door open and then every thought in his head was gone. Beth walked out of the house in a beautiful yellow dress and brown cowboy boots. Her hair was down in waves across her back and Daryl swore he was looking at heaven….or at least heaven had to be missing an angel. She really was beautiful.

"Come on Baby Brother….they won't bite….much" Merle called with a chuckle as he reached the top of the steps of the porch and pulled Beth in for a hug. Daryl noticed then that Merle had taken the bottle of wine they had bought, leaving him with the flowers. "Asshole" Daryl thought under his breath as he felt the tips of his ears going red. She saw Beth smiling at him and he felt a small grin forming on his lips too that he was unable to stop. He took a deep breath, grabbed the flowers and climbed out of the truck.

"Merle don't you touch that garlic bread" Beth called into the door after the older Dixon brother when she heard him greet Maggie in the kitchen. As she turned back around she saw Daryl walking up to her, with the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. Her heart started beating faster when she saw him carrying them. 'God girl, calm down. Act like the adult you are' she scolded herself in her head but it was no use because here was Daryl Dixon walking toward her carrying flowers. He had another sleeveless shirt, this time all black and a pair of jeans with no holes. She could tell he had cleaned up to come over and that made her melt even more, as did the slight tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Hi Daryl" she said sweetly as he got to the foot of the steps. He looked up at her from under his bangs, his blue eyes piercing her. "Thank you so much for coming" she added once she caught her breath.

"Thanks for askin' us….here" he mumbled as he stuck out the flowers and lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Oh my goodness Daryl, these are beautiful. Thank you so much. That's so sweet of you. I'm sure Maggie will love them too" she said sweetly, hoping to curb his shyness just a little letting him know that she knew they were not just for her.

"s' nothing" he said as he slowly looked back up at her. The sun was setting behind them, causing an orange glow to surround her. He had no idea she could get any more beautiful, but standing there, looking at him with that huge smile on her face, surrounded by the glow of the setting sun, he wanted to tell her that the flowers were just for her. That he would pick as many as she wanted, all day long if it kept that smile on her face. But instead he kept his mouth shut and brought his thumb up to his mouth, biting the side of it.

"Come on, hope yer hungry….and I hope yer brother hasn't eaten all the food already" she said as she held out her hand to him. He eyed it for a second and then brought his eyes back up to hers. As he met her gaze, he felt his fingers lace into hers and her smile for a second time a bright smile as she pulled him into the house.


	14. Chapter 14

_*****I've decided that most of this story is going to be fluff and happiness. There will be a few issues, but nothing too big. It's what I need now because of the craziness of the show so far. (Seriously, Rick going all InShane over some married chick he just met) My only highlights are Daryl and Aaron. I swear if they make Aaron evil after Daryl has started to trust him, I will scream. If they kill Daryl, I will probably be done*****_

"So Daryl, Maggie told us you saved our Bethy. That was very brave of you" Patricia said as she looked across the table at Daryl. He could feel the tips of his ears turn red as the entire table turned to look at him.

"S' nothin' really. Right place, right time is all" Daryl mumbled as he started turning his spaghetti around on his fork.

"You are right Patricia, it was really brave. I am very thankful that Daryl was there that morning" Beth said with a smile as she placed her hand on top of his free one and squeezed. He turned to look at her and for a moment was lost in the blue of her eyes. They held so much kindness and sincerity that he didn't doubt her words for a moment.

"Well any person that saves our Bethy and also has arms like yours, can be our hero any day" Eric said with a teasing smile, causing Merle to spit his drink across the table in laughter. Daryl could feel the red spread from his ears to his cheeks as he looked down at his plate.

"Find your own hero Eric" Beth said with a smile as she placed her hand on his knee under the table and continued. "Enough about Daryl. Tell us you two, how is moving going? Will you be making more weekend trips down here? " Beth asked as she gently squeezed Daryl's knee under the table then let him go. He released a breath at how she had turned the discussion off of him and gave her a small thank you smile. When he had met all of these people earlier, he had instantly felt comfortable around all of them. Of course he already knew Maggie, Merle and Beth, but this was his first time meeting Maggie's husband Glenn. He had also met Otis and Patricia, who Beth told him were best friends with her parents and were like her adopted Aunt and Uncle. Otis ran the farm for them since both Maggie and Beth had moved but neither of them could stand to sell it. Then there was Eric and Aaron, who Beth had told him had gone to school with Maggie and had became really good friends with both of them over the years. He had felt a little overwhelmed but they had all been really nice to him and to Merle. Merle seemed to get along really good with them as well and they took all of his jokes in stride.

"Well, on that front we have some news for you" Eric said with a huge smile on his face as he turned to Aaron who smiled back at him.

"Oh really, spill" Maggie exclaimed as she leaned forward a little.

"Yes, tell us" Beth said excitedly as well as she leaned toward them too.

"Well" Aaron said as he smiled at Eric and took his hand. "The move is off" he turned back around to look at his friends.

"What do you mean the move is off? What happened to the job you had?" Glenn asked curiously.

"Well, my job here decided that they didn't want to lose me, so they offered me more and I accepted. Only problem is, now we need to get the stuff we already have moved back down here. Luckily we have not sold our house yet" Aaron stated as he squeezed Eric's hand.

"So the love birds are stayin' in town" Merle asked with a mouth full of food.

"Yep, we are staying…and just in time to teach you some manners" Eric said with another teasing smile.

"Keep trying Princess, ain't gunna happen" Merle said with his own teasing smile. Daryl froze for a second, not sure if Eric and Aaron were actually cool with being called stuff like that, but his worry faded really fast when he saw Eric smile back at Merle.

"It's Queen, Merle not Princess….remember that" Eric said as he put his fork on his now clean plate.

"Nope" Merle said with a shake of his head "Carol is the Queen. Remember that was decided at the last dinner she was at with us. You are her Princess" Merle replied with a chuckle, causing the rest of the table except for Daryl to laugh as well.

"You ask her out yet?" Glenn asked Merle, causing Daryl to raise an eyebrow at his older brother.

"You know it aint like that with us. She is just now divorced from Ed and aint ready for nothin' else" Merle said, his voice turning a little angry at the mention of Carol's ex.

"Carol from work. Merle has a thing for her. It's kinda sweet actually" Beth leaned into Daryl a little and whispered to him when he looked confused again. He had known that Merle had beat the hell out of a guy because he was laying hands on a girl at work, but he didn't know that Merle also had a thing for her and that it was Carol. He had only met Carol a few times, but she seemed nice and like the other ladies in the bar, would not take Merle's crap.

"Has he come around again lately?" Glenn said as he took Maggie's hand.

"Not since Merle beat the living hell out of him for grabbing Carol in front of him. He deserved every inch of that beat down too. That guy was horrible for the stuff he did to her. Luckily she got away before he touched Sophia" Maggie stated, anger rising in her face.

"Well if it wasn't for you and Sweet Pea letting her stay here until she could get on her feet, it probably wouldn't have worked out the way that it did. You both saved her life" Merle said, a smile forming on his face and gratitude in his eyes. Daryl wondered as he looked at his brother if he had ever seen him look at somebody like that before, let alone two women.

"She saved herself" Beth said just above a whisper, causing Daryl to turn his head to look at her. He saw a single tear run down her cheek as she turned to him and smiled, wiping it away.

"That she did Bethy, but you two did help her. Showed her what it was to be strong" Patricia said sweetly as she patted Beth's arm. Beth smiled back at her lovingly and placed her hand on top of Patricia's.

"Well enough with the sadness, Sweet Pea, this meal was amazing. You gotta stop feeding Ol' Merle like this or I'm gunna get fat" he said happily as he slapped his stomach. Beth giggled from her chair and Daryl saw a flush of pink go across her cheeks. She really was cute when she was embarrassed.

"It was the best one you have made yet" Aaron spoke up as he stood to start taking the dishes into the kitchen.

"Your just saying that because you love spaghetti and Merle, there is more garlic bread in the kitchen if you want to take it with you" Beth said as she stood up to take the plates in front of her, Eric putting his hand out to stop her.

"You cooked, we clean" Eric said sternly but with a full smile. Beth sighed and looked around, her eyes locking on Daryl who was standing to help clean up.

"Daryl, come with me please. There is something I want to show you" she said sweetly, extending her hand. Daryl looked down at the plates in his hands and then her extended hand. Either go into the kitchen and clean plates or spend time with Beth. After that really not hard decision, he sat the plates on the table, wiped his hands on his jeans and took her hand. She smiled up brightly at him and led him toward the front door. He looked around as she led him off of the porch and around the huge house and past the barn. He took in all the beauty of the farm. It really was a magnificent place. They stopped when they came to a tree line, a little patch worn in the middle from years of walking.

"Our property goes for another mile or so that way" she pointed in front of her toward the woods and the patch. "This is where my Daddy and Otis used to go hunting. They would come back with all these stories about the animals they saw but no actual food. I'm not sure if they just didn't kill them because of my Daddy being a Vet or if they just sucked at it" she said with a chuckle. "If you want" she started as she turned to look at him. "You can come here and hunt. I thought maybe you might want a change of scenery every once in awhile. I already spoke to Otis and told him and you are free to come whenever you want. There is always somebody here at some point in time" she said with a smile.

"You sure you want me here on your land by myself?" he asked. He couldn't hide the surprised tone in his voice. He knew, he knew that she was different than other people. That her family and friends were different from other people. That she was not scared of the Dixon name and everything that came along with it, but he still was stunned. Normally people would lock up all of their stuff when they heard that a Dixon was coming by, but not her. She is offering her home up willingly.

"Course I'm sure. If I wasn't I wouldn't have said anything Silly" she said as she hit his arm playfully and chuckled to herself as she turned back to look at the woods. As a light gust of wind came thru, the trees did an almost bewitching dance that she loved. He turned his head to look at her, the light from the moon and the few lights they kept on around the farm was illuminating her, making her look angelic again. "Isn't it beautiful" she whispered as she looked at the woods.

"Yeah, most beautiful thing I' ever seen" he whispered hoarsely. But his eyes were not on the woods, they were on the beautiful creature in front of him. Yeah, he was doomed.


End file.
